AIBU to want spending cuts rather than more tax rises?

If I was being heavily subsidised, I'd be pretty grateful to the people paying for my lifestyle.

And I certainly wouldn't be berating people paying literally 20 times more tax than me for not 'paying their fair share'

We're all different.

I love the idea of scrapping the HOL. So many of these ideas are "I don'tnlike it or understand it so we shouldn't fund ir".

You can look at composition and allowances, but we do need a second chamber of some sort, it is a pretty vital check and balance.

The HOL is so much better than our elected chamber. Watch some of the debates in each, and you'll see how much better the quality is!

What needs to change is to limit how many Lords can be created by the PM. Distorts things massively.

We both work actually but I am grateful for anything we have received and there is a safety net. I think you presume we don't work.

The quality of House of Lords debate is better, but I think you could achieve the work with a lot fewer people.

Yes agree on both points. It’s now the biggest second chamber globally.

I think saying you earn nearly £100k and can't afford luxuries suggests you might need to run through your finances. Also many people are struggling genuinely on a lot less so it is rather tactless and you (general) need to read the room.

And yes - see Scotland's parliament and the corruption and misuse of funds there during the Sturgeon reign to understand why we need a second chamber! (Not just the embezzlement, but also the utter waste from ideological projects which were never challenged)

And you clearly have no idea of taxes and costs.

That's exactly the point - that those earning much less don't end up with much less. Due to our ridiculously redistributive system.

It's you who is being tactless and clueless.

Excellent start

Those private schools where many don't even accept kids with EHCPs in the first place? You realise how many SEN kids whose parents can't afford private have to either home school or shove them in a mainstream school that isn't right for them? My severely autistic nephew was left sitting outside in a corridor until he was eventually given a place in an SEN school.

Not sure why you mentioned private school when we were talking about adult disabled kids?

Says the individual who thinks that kids like mine will have to step up and get jobs when many won't be able to live independently. Says the individual who is blatantly ableism. Not sure why such blatant discrimination is allowed.

How many disabled kids go to private school anyway?

I'm actually very grateful for having HOL.
The saved us from many crazy policies introduced by HOC, or at least prolonged the process.
It was HOL prolonging Brexit things and allowing us a few more years with EU, challenging Assisted Dying Act and many more. I think average IQ of HOL is much higher than HOC. I really don't want it scrapped.

I'm suggesting that those who depend on the state should think ahead, and not kill the goose that lays the golden eggs.

That's not ableist, it's simple incredulous at your lack of vision and self-sabotage.

A lot. About 40% of my DCs classmate had some type of ND and associated SEN.
In many cases parents decide to go private because their kids aren't disabled enough to get meaningful support from state schools but still can't thrive there.

So did this VAT on private schools help your nephew? Or you're just happy that now other kids will struggle the same? Those kids who had support before?

Well then they are lucky to be able to afford it and don't say they aren't lucky because of the VAT. I suspect my son is going to be too autistic for mainstream and not disabled enough for an SEN school. He is very smart. At least those parents have that choice.

The majority of your cuts are aimed at very specific groups of people, namely women, the disabled and the elderly. So much for equality and inclusion.

You're also not taking into account the amount of administration needed to introduce some of these policies while also chopping the workforce aka the civil servants, who would have to implement them.

Also, by reducing a lot of people's income you're taking money out of the economy at a local level.

Two things can be true at the same time -

• parents of children with lifelong, genuine disabilities should receive our admiration and financial support
• middle income and higher earners are being more and more squeezed. Cliff edges/removing childcare hours at a certain level of earning feels punitive for those already contributing vast swathes of tax.

For the majority of parents sending their child private the VAT rise will be annoying but they can afford it. I feel sorry for the ones affected. At least they have that choice though. Why would I be happy about it? Money gives you choices though.

What is the relevance of private schools on this thread anyway? People who can pay for private schools should not be jealous of those recieving benefits.

gotcha. You can't give something to your son so you're really keen to make sure no one else can have it.

You'd be surprised that most of those parents works ridiculous hours in super stressful jobs, frequently in very toxic environment, to be able to afford such choice. But you're welcome to frame it as luck.

Maybe their ire should be more towards tax dodgers than families of disabled children who receive benefits to mitigate the cost of disability? 🤷 I suspect that poster thinks that my child is one of those who isn't disabled and just looking for a diagnosis. 😄 I have never said I have no sympathy although it is a little bit lukewarm if you are a very big earner moaning.

The taxpayer simply couldn't afford the billions spent on modernisation of the railway fleet to comply with health and safety, disability and waste laws. We needed private finance to pay for an entire new fleet. Very similar to PFI that was used to build new schools and hospitals. The national debt is already trillions, so more debt can't be put onto the nation's balance sheet, hence "off balance sheet" ing it by privatisations, PFI, etc.